Ricki Lake

Aside from a mutual longing for the coveted mirror ball trophy, Dancing with the Stars finalists Rob Kardashian, J.R. Martinez and Ricki Lake can agree on one other thing: the competition has changed them for the better.

"It's inspiring, I think, for women out there to see I'm a regular person. I am the every woman who's struggled with my weight," Lake, partnered with pro Derek Hough, told PEOPLE after Monday night's show, which was filled with rock star performances from the final three. "I've dealt with hardships my whole life, but look what I've been able to do. Hard work can pay off."

It's a sentiment mirrored by Cheryl Burke's partner, Kardashian. "I have a very, very tough time getting up there in front of so many people," he says. "I got so much more confident as the season kept going and going and going."

He's the Kardashian the competition is having trouble keeping up with.

Rob Kardashian saved his best moves for last on Dancing with the Stars, getting a perfect 30-point score at Monday night's finals and emerging as the unlikely frontrunner going into an anything-goes decision show Tuesday.

With sister Kim Kardashian cheering him on in the ballroom, Rob first delivered a classy waltz for 27 points, then electrified the audience with a daring freestyle that had him lifting and twirling partner Cheryl Burke above his head.

"I'm sort of in shock," Lake, 43, told PEOPLE after making it through semi-finals elimination on Tuesday night. "I was never the [original] frontrunner. I know everybody will say, 'Oh, I picked her.' No they didnt. My odds were 10 to 1. I know because I checked it out on [bet-placing website] Bodog.com."

Now that she's on her way to next week's finals against Rob Kardashian and Cheryl Burke, and J.R. Martinez and Karina Smirnoff, the engaged former talk show host says, "It's sort of a miracle that I'm still here. I'm really working hard. I'm really proud of myself."

After performing three dances each the night before, one of Dancing's four semi-finalists was booted from the competition on Tuesday, a week shy of the show's season finale.

Ricki Lake and Rob Kardashian were awarded by the judges for their nearly flawless routines on Monday. Meanwhile, an injured J.R. Martinez experienced his worst week yet but still scored higher than Hope Solo.

Now that the votes are in, keep reading to find out who will compete in next week's finale – and who kissed the ballroom goodbye:

It's down to four on Dancing with the Stars – J.R. Martinez, Ricki Lake, Rob Kardashian, and Hope Solo. And Brooke Burke Charvet believes they all have a legitimate shot at the mirror-ball trophy.

"I've always thought that J.R. was a frontrunner. I think Ricki has a shot at it as well. I think it's going to be one of those finales where we don't know what's going to happen," the co-host of the ABC show told PEOPLE Saturday at the Harajuku Mini for Target launch at Jim Henson Studios in Hollywood.